ABSTRACT
Variations in moisture content may result in considerable volume changes of expansive clayey soils that are responsible of damages to structures founded on them (e.g., Jones and Holtz, 1973; Chen, 1975). Many studies have attempted to depict the couplings between variations in water content and the resulting modifications in the volume, mechanical properties, or fabric of the expansive soils, compacted or in a natural state (e.g. Gens and Alonso, 1992; Simms and Yanful, 2002), with a special attention to the influence of wetting and drying cycles (Day, 1994; Al-Homoud et al., 1995; Alonso et al., 1999). To complement these studies, several specific constructive techniques or methods were proposed to overcome or prevent disorders generated by expansive soils in earthworks (e.g., Chen 1975; Nelson and Miller, 1992; Steinberg, 1998).
